The Nia Center, currently owned by the Transit Authority of River City, could be redeveloped into affordable housing.
A local community group is making a final fundraising effort to preserve the Nia Center as a business hub for west Louisville entrepreneurs.
The West Louisville Dream Team is negotiating a $2.1 million purchase of the Nia Center from TARC, the city’s public transit agency. The building, located at 2900 West Broadway, offers some of the only affordable office space in the West End and also houses city agencies and a driver’s license office.
Shaun Spencer, founder of the Dream Team and a tenant who runs a printing and notary service in the building, said the group has secured a mortgage for the purchase but still needs additional funds for closing costs, inspections, and necessary renovations.
The group has submitted a funding proposal to the West End Opportunity Partnership.
“WEOP is based on this money, your money, being used to further develop the West End of Louisville, make sure that there’s economic growth there, to make sure the citizens, the residents of the area have a voice,” Spencer said. “The citizens have already spoken. We’ve already said we do not want it torn down.”
The West End Opportunity Partnership is funded through a mix of private donations and taxpayer dollars, with a mission to drive economic growth in the nine historically Black neighborhoods of the West End.
The group’s Board of Directors had previously considered funding Goodwill Kentucky’s plan to buy and demolish the Nia Center to build affordable housing, but opposition from tenants and residents led to the proposal being scrapped.
Now, Spencer said the Dream Team is asking the board to support their plan to preserve the building as a community asset. The group is requesting $1.95 million for renovations and operating costs, structured as a $1.5 million low-interest loan and a $450,000 grant.
Their proposal includes a full renovation while maintaining the building’s purpose of providing affordable office and retail space for Black entrepreneurs.
“We’re in a stage now where we have a unique opportunity to gain something for our community and for our legacy,” Spencer said. “We need everyone’s support.”
Laura Douglas, president and CEO of the Partnership, did not respond to a request for comment.
Spencer said the group wants WEOP to process its request as quickly as it did the earlier proposal to demolish the building.
That earlier proposal from Goodwill Kentucky had been under consideration for months before being voted down.
The Dream Team has until mid-June to finalize the purchase, and is asking the Partnership’s Finance Committee to review the proposal at its April or May meeting.
The group has also submitted a separate funding request to Louisville Metro Council members, focused on building improvements such as signage, flooring, and windows.
Metro Council will soon enter budget season, beginning with Mayor Craig Greenberg presenting a proposed 2026-27 budget on April 23.
Council members will spend the following two months reviewing and revising the proposal before adopting a final version by June 25. Even if funding is approved, the Dream Team is unlikely to receive those funds before the deadline to close on the Nia Center.
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